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Conservation

Zambia's 42 IBAs cover a combined area of 10,538,250 ha; approximately 14% of Zambia’s total land surface. At present, about 82% of the area covered by IBAs receives some form of protection (National Park: 60%, Game Management Area: 19%, National Forest: 2%, privately owned: 1%).

Zambia faces a similar array of conservation issues to many other African countries including habitat degradation, fire, illegal hunting and over-fishing, invasive alien plants, the degazetting of protected areas and the ineffective implementation and enforcement of conservation legislation. However, Zambia boasts large tracts of pristine wilderness which are probably less exposed to environmental, population, industrial and political pressures than many neighbouring countries. Zambia is also fortunate not to have large numbers of threatened species. Nevertheless, this could quickly change if appropriate conservation measures are not implemented and if the current conservation infrastructure is not properly maintained.